The present disclosure relates generally to optical data storage media, and more specifically, to holographic storage media. In one embodiment, an optical storage medium includes a polymer matrix having one or more polymer chains. The optical storage medium also includes a reverse saturable absorption (RSA) sensitizer disposed within the polymer matrix that is configured to become excited upon exposure to light having an intensity above an intensity threshold and configured to transfer energy to a reactant. The optical storage medium also includes a diphenyl cyclopropene (DPCP)-derivative reactant disposed within the polymer matrix and capable of undergoing a modification upon receiving an energy transfer from the excited sensitizer that changes a refractive index of the optical medium.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An optical storage medium comprising: a polymer matrix comprising one or more polymer chains; a reverse saturable absorption (RSA) sensitizer disposed within the polymer matrix and configured to become excited upon exposure to light having an intensity above an intensity threshold and configured to transfer energy to a reactant, wherein the RSA sensitizer is a metal-subphthalocyanine (M-sub-PC) RSA dye comprising a subphthalocyanine portion, a linker portion, a metal binding portion, and a metal portion; and a diphenyl cyclopropene (DPCP)-derivative reactant disposed within the polymer matrix and configured to undergo a modification upon receiving an energy transfer from the excited sensitizer to provide a change in a refractive index of the optical medium.
2. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the DPCP-derivative reactant is bound to the one or more polymer chains.
3. The optical storage medium of claim 2 , wherein greater than approximately 60% of a plurality of binding sites of the one or more polymer chains are coupled to the DPCP-derivative reactant species.
4. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises one or more of: poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(alkyl methacrylate), poly(alkyl acrylate), polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly acrylate, poly(vinylidene chloride), or poly(vinyl acetate) polymer chains.
5. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , comprising a stilbene-derivative reactant, a cinnamate-derivative reactant, or both, disposed in the polymer matrix.
6. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the change in the refractive index of the optical medium produces microholograms capable of storing data.
7. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the change in the refractive index of the optical medium is greater than approximately 0.08.
8. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the modification has a quantum efficiency of approximately 70% at 800 MW/cm 2 .
9. The optical storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the modification has a quantum efficiency of approximately 60% at 800 MW/cm 2 .
10. A refractive-index change composition comprising: a metal-subphthalocyanine (M-sub-PC) reverse saturable absorption (RSA) sensitizer comprising a subphthalocyanine portion, a linker portion, a metal binding portion, and a metal portion; and a diphenyl cyclopropene (DPCP)-derivative reactant species having the general formula: wherein, X 1 comprises a proton, a carbonyl, a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, or an ether, ester, or amide linkage to a polymer chain; and wherein each X 2 independently comprises a proton, a halide, a hydrocarbyl group having between 1 and 10 carbons, an alkoxy group having between 1 and 10 carbons, a nitro group, an amine group, or portions of a larger arene structure having between 1 and 20 carbons.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the DPCP-derivative reactant species comprises: 2,3-diphenylcycloprop-2-enone; 2,3-diphenylcycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2,3-bis(perchlorophenyl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2,3-di(naphthalen-2-yl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2,3-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2,3-bis(4-iodophenyl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2,3-bis(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; 2-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)cycloprop-2-enecarboxylate; or any combination thereof.
12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the polymer chain comprises one or more of a poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(alkyl methacrylate), poly(alkyl acrylate), polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly acrylate, poly(vinylidene chloride), or poly(vinyl acetate) polymer chains.
13. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the DPCP-derivative is bound to a polymer according to the general formula: wherein R is a proton or the DPCP-derivative species, and wherein n is an integer between 1 and 10,000, and wherein greater than approximately 65% of R in the polymer is the DPCP-derivative species.
14. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the DPCP-derivative reactant species comprises between approximately 10% and 85% of a total weight of the composition.
15. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the reactant species is configured to undergo indirect photochemical reactions that modify the refractive index of the composition upon receiving an energy transfer from the RSA sensitizer.
16. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the composition is capable of recording microholograms when exposed to recording light having an intensity greater than an intensity threshold, wherein the microholograms comprise one or more localized changes in the refractive index of the composition that record information regarding the phase and intensity of the recording light.
17. A method for storing data on an optical medium comprising: irradiating a portion of the optical medium with recording light having an intensity above an intensity threshold, wherein the optical medium comprises a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) and a diphenyl cyclopropene (DPCP)-derivative reactant disposed within a polymer matrix, and wherein the RSA is a metal-subphthalocyanine (M-sub-PC) RSA comprising a subphthalocyanine portion, a linker portion, a metal binding portion, and a metal portion; exciting the RSA to an excited triplet state with the recording light such that the excited RSA sensitizes a chemical modification of the reactant; and modifying the DPCP-derivative reactant such that the refractive index of the portion of the optical medium is altered to form a hologram in the optical medium.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the hologram stores information about the intensity and phase of the recording light.
19. The method of claim 18 , comprising interrogating the portion of the optical medium using lower intensity light than the recording light such that the information stored in the hologram can be non-destructively recovered.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein irradiating a portion of the optical medium comprises irradiating a portion of the optical medium with recording light having a wavelength of approximately 405 nm.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein irradiating a portion of the optical medium comprises irradiating a portion of the optical medium with recording light having a wavelength between approximately 370 nm and 650 nm.
22. The method of claim 17 , wherein a quantum efficiency of the modification is greater than approximately 60% at 800 MW/cm 2 .
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November 17, 2011
November 12, 2013
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